Elevator



April 27, 19:43. s; FULLER-LION ELEVATOR Filed Jan. 16, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOE 3 FUL HTTOENEY L TON I III I April 27, 1943.

H. s. FULLERTON 2,317,852 ELEVATOR v Filed Jan. 16.19 11 .4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR HEEBEET S. FULLEETON BY I III ATTORNEY I Patented Apr. 27, 1943 ELEVATOR Herbert S. Fullerton, Philadelphia, Pa... assignor to The Baldwin Locomotive Works, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 16, 1941, Serial No. 374,659

10 Claims.

This invention relates generally to elevating equipment and more particularly to a deck edge elevator for lifting airplanes to the flight deck of a ship such as an airplane carrier or for lifting in other fields. such, for example,. as the storage of automobiles in garages located in congested city areas.

The elevating equipment herein disclosed is adapted to transfer material directlybetween two elevations such as between the storage deck of a ship and the flight deck thereof or from the ground floor of a garage to the second floor.

. It is an object of my invention to provide a mechanism that has maximum compactness and strength combined with ability for rapid speed of operation while maintaining substantially accurate alignment of the elevator platform with the floors or decks at the upper and lower elevations.

Another object is to provide improved means whereby the elevator platform may be adjusted into alignment with the two floor levels. The problem in this connection is of a peculiar nature because of the operating characteristics of the mechanism which raises and lowers the elevator platform. These characteristics are such that normally any attempt to adjust the elevator platform for alignment with one floor may cause the platform to be seriously out of alignment with the other floor or vice versa.

It is another object of my invention to provide improved means whereby the platform. may be brought into alignment with each floor independently of the other in a simple, positive and economical manner.

A further object is to provide an improved arrangement of the hydraulic power means for actuating the elevated mechanism whereby the power means has maximum rigidity in and of itself as Well as providing an exceptionally sturdy relationship with the operating linkages of the elevator platform.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the elevator embodying the improvements constituting my in vention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on. the line 2-2 of Fig. 5; s

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line l-,-1l of Fig. 3; V

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken substantially on the line 5-5' of Fig. l-; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectiontaken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, showing the relationshipof the operating ram and cylinder with respect to a supporting column and to the operating links for the elevator platform.

In the particular embodiment of the invention such as is disclosed herein merely for the purpose of illustrating one specific form among. possible others that the invention might take in practice, I have shown in Fig. 1 two floor levels generally indicated at l and 2, the elevator being supported on the lower level I. This elevator comprises, as shown in the plan view of Fig. 5,, two side columns 3 and 4 each of which as shown in Fig. 2 are suitably secured to the level I by bolts 5 or other suitable means. As shown in Figs. land 5 each column has a pair of transversely spaced forwardly projecting arms 6 between which are respectively disposed relatively long arms I, l. Inasmuch as the elevator isentirely symmetrical about its longitudinal central axis the description ofv one side will sufiice for both and accordingly any remaining parts on the two sides will begiven the same reference numhere. The arms. I are,'Fi'gs. 2' and 5, mounted upon a common shaft 8 which is suitably'journalled as at 9 and [0 in each pair of forwardly projecting. arms 6; The lower ends of the arms 1, Fig. 2, have journals II for a shaft I2 which extends entirely across and through an elevator platform l3 which in plan view may have any suitable shape depending upon the character of articles to be transferred. The platform in the specific embodiment of the invention herein disclosed has a main portion I land a: tail piece l5. Secured to each side of the platform l3 are a pair of arms l6 connected by links I! through a pivotal connection [8 to a pair of upwardly inclined extensions l8 of stationary arms 6. The arms I, It, I! and I8 form substantially a parallelogram adapted to maintain the'pla'tform l3 substantially horizontal when it is swung from its full line lower position,. Fig. .1, to its upper dotted line position [9. Each of. the arms'l is connected to an operating ram and cylinder structure generally indicated at 2|. This hydraulic mechanism is duplicated in each side frame 3 and 4 and comprises upper and lower stationary rams 22 and 23 supported at their remote ends in suitable projections 24' and 25 of the side frames. A

pair of cylinders 26 and 21 suitably connected together at their adjacent ends as at 28 moves vertically as an integral'unit when fluid pressure is supplied to the hollow rams through inlets 29 and 30, it being noted that the inner ends of the rams have suitable openings 3t and 32 through which fluid may flow to or from the respective cylinders. This cylinder and ram structure provides a very sturdy structure that is rigidly supported to the frame at its upper and lower points and has great rigidity throughout its central portion by reason of the cylinders being of much larger diameter than the rams thereby insuring maximum strength without adding unnecessary weight to the ram and cylinder structure. The large diameter of the cylinders also permits extremely strong trunnions 35 and 36, Fig. 6, projecting laterally from each side of the upper cylinder 26. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, a link structure generally indicated at 31 is connected to the trunnions and to a pivot shaft 38 journalled in arm 1. The link structure 31 is preferably divided into two halves bolted together as at 46 whereby the two ends of the link are bifurcated to receive cylinder 26 and the small arm 4| of arm 1.

Downward movement of the cylinder structure will cause links 3! to swing arms I in a counterclockwise direction to lift platform l3 to its upper position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. In orderto adjust the elevation of platform l3 so that its forward edge 43 lies substantially flush with the lower floor or deck I and also to have the platform flush with the upper floor or deck 2, I have provided improved means whereby these two adjustments may be imposed upon the same parallelogram operating linkage without having the adjustment at one point influence the adjustment at the other point. To accomplish this the lower end of link H as shown in Fig. 3 is bifurcated as at 44 to receive the upper end of arm 16. These upper ends as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 have an elongated recess or guideway 45 which in the lower position of platform l3 extends in a forward and backward direction, that is, in the direction in which the lower ends of links I! would swing if allowed to swing freely about their upper pivots I8. The bearings in the lower ends of links I! consist, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, of a roller bearing 46 held between a pair of split bearing housings 41 and 48, these bearing housings being bolted together, Fig. 4, as at 49. The bearing housings have upper and lower horizontal grooves and 5| in which guideways 52 and 53 extend. The bearing housing is adjustably held in a fixed position relative to arms I! by pairs of bolts 54 and 55 which engage filler blocks 56 and 51 disposed between the bearing housing opposed walls of the guideway 45. To move the bearing and ink relative to each other and blocks 56--5'l are removed and blocks of other dimensions inserted, the bolts 54 and 55 being adjusted to accommodate whatever size of block may be employed. The bearing 46 is mounted on a shaft 58 which is connected to link I! for adjustment relative thereto in a different direction from that of bearing 46 in arm l6.

As shown in Fig. '3, shaft 58 is journalled in a pair of plain bearings 59 which are supported in elongated openings of the bifurcated end of link". As shown in Fig. 3, these openings extend lengthwise of link 11 and the bearings 59 are held in any adjusted position by two sets of screws 61 and 62. Sets of spacing blocks 63 and 64 may be inserted to rigidly hold the bearing in any adjusted position, it being understood that spacing blocks of diiferent thickness are provided for different adjustments.

Operation-To adjust the free end 43 of platform 13 so that it is flush with both the lower and upper floors l and 2 the platform is preferably first placed in its lower position and screws 6| and 62, Fig. 3, are loosened whereupon platform l3 may be adjustably rotated in either direction as indicated by arrow 66. During such adjustment the bearings 59 will shift up or down relative to link I! as indicated by the arrow 61, Fig. 1. When the desired adjustment of platform I3 is obtained spacing blocks of suitable dimension are inserted at 63 and 64 to provide rigid positioning of bearing 59, theseblocks being held in position by set screws 6| and 62. Hydraulic pressure is now supplied to the upper cylinder 26 to move the same downwardly and accordingly swing arm 1 and platform I3 to its upper position l9 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

To now adjust platform I 3 relative to the upper floor 2, the screws 54 and 55, Fig. 4, are loosened and blocks 56 are removed whereupon the platform may be adjustably rotated in either direction as indicated by arrow 68, Fig. 1. During such adjustment the bearing housing 49 shifts relative to arm 6 in the elongated opening thereof in either direction as indicated by arrow 69. After the end 43 of the platform is adjusted to its desired relation to floor 2, a new set of rigid positioning blocks 56 and 51 are inserted within opening 45, Fig. 4, and clamped by bolts 54 and 55. The foregoing adjustment of bearing 46 does not change the distance between the pivots at the opposite ends of link I! and therefore the platform when swung to its lower position will retain its originally adjusted position. The reason why the forward and backward adjustment of bearing 46 in the direction of arrow 69 does not alter the loweradjustment of platform I3 is because any adjustment of bearing 46 in the direction of arrow 69 has relative movement in the lower position of the platform in a direction indicated by arrow 10. It is seen from Fig. 1 that the shifting of pivot 58 in the direction of arrow H1 will not have any noticeable effect upon the lower' adjustment of platform l3.

From the disclosure herein it is seen that I have provided an extremely rugged power mechanism that permits the trunnions 35 and 36 of links 31 to be sturdily widely spaced by reason of these trunnions being mounted on the outside of the movable cylinder while at the same time producing an extremely compact mechanism. In addition to the foregoing, the multiple adjusting mechanism for the platform is simple in construction, operation and maintenance and is fully effective in obtaining an extremely nice degree of adjustment in a structure that moves through a-distance of many feet, these adjustments being independent of each other notwithstanding that the two adjusting mechanisms are structurally and functionally interdependent.

It will of course be understood that various changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a member shifta-ble to a plurality of positions, operating links for moving said member arid for partially rotating the same relative to said links as the member is moved from one position to another, means for initially adjusting the position of said shiftable member in one of said positions, and means for with one of said levels while maintaining substantial alignment with another of said levels.

3. In combination, a member shiftable vertically to upper and lower floor levels, a main arm for bodily lifting said shiftable member, a link connected to said shiftable member and adapted to cause rotation of said member during movement of said main arm from one level to another, means for adjusting the shiftable member into substantial alignment with one of said levels independently of the adjustment of said member at the second level, and means for adjusting said shiftable member into substantial alignment with the second level independently of the adjustment at the first level.

4. In combination, a substantially horizontal member shiftable between upper and lower floor levels, means for swinging said member through a an arcuate path from one level to the other while being maintained in a substantially horizontal position, and means for rotatably adjusting said member into substantially horizontal alignment with both levels.

5. In combination, a substantially horizontal member shiftable to a plurality of floor levels, operating links arranged substantially in a parallelogram for moving said member and for partially rotating the same relative to said links as the member is moved from one level to another thereby to maintain said member in its substantially horizontal position, means for effecting an adjusting movement between certain of said links in one direction at one of said levels thereby to bring said member substantially into alignment with said level, and means for efiecting adjusting movement between certain of said links in another direction so as to adjust said member into substantial alignment with the other level.

6. In combination, a substantially horizontal member shiftable between upper and lower floor levels, operating links arranged substantially in a parallelogram for moving said member and for partially rotating the same relative to said links as the member is moved from one level to the other, means for adjusting said member into substantial alignment with one of said levels by shifting the connecting pivot between two of said links in one direction, and means for adjusting said member into substantial alignment with the other level by shifting said pivot in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of the other adjustment, whereby the adjustment of said member at one level position is substantially independent of the adjustment at the other level.

7. In combination, a substantial horizontal member shiftable between upper and lower floor levels, operating links arranged substantially in a parallelogram for moving said member and for partially rotating the same relative to said links as the member is moved from one level to the other, and means for adjusting said member into substantial alignment with each of said levels including a pivot between two of said links and means for adjusting said pivot in two angularly related directions.

8. In combination, a substantially horizontal member shiftable between upper and lower floor levels, operating links arranged substantially in a parallelogram for moving said member and for partially rotating the same relative to said links as the member is moved from one level to the other, and means for adjusting said member into substantial alignment with each of said levels including a pivot between two of said links and means for moving said pivot relative to one of said links in two directions substantially at right angles to each other.

9. In combination, a member shiftable to a plurality of floor levels, operating links for moving said member and for partially rotating the same relative to said links as the member is moved from one level to the other, a vertical frame upon which one of said links is pivotally mounted, a pair of opposed stationary rams having free inner ends spaced from each other and supported at their remote ends by said frame, a cylinder structure vertically movable on said rams and having a cylinder head located between the inner ends of said rams, and trun nions on the outside of said cylinder structure and connected to said operating links.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9 further characterized in that said cylinder structure comprises two cylinders connected together at their head ends, said head ends moving between the stationary plungers and said trunnions being on the upper one of said cylinders above the center thereof.

HERBERT S. FULLERTON. 

